Aspire: The Leadership Development Podcast

This week’s guest, Jorge Valenzuela, shares his journey of how he was introduced to Emotional Intelligence in his personal life and how he used his action research to help districts implement sound SEL practices on their campuses.  In this episode, we discuss: “Learning Walks” to Provide Feedback  The Importance of Gathering Data for Action Research And his new podcast, SEL in Action Podcast! About Jorge Valenzuela: Jorge Valenzuela is an education coach, author, and advocate. He has years of experience as a teacher, curriculum specialist, and consultant. Using action research methodology, his work helps school leaders and teachers reach their unique success paths to innovation in school leadership, tiered instruction, project-based learning, computer science and STEM education, and social and emotional learning across the curriculum. Jorge is an adjunct professor at Old Dominion University and the lead coach at https://www.lifelonglearningdefined.com/ (Lifelong Learning Defined). He is an https:

This week’s guest, Kevin J. Butler, shares how he lost his passion to teach and how he transformed his teaching style to become more engaging. While teachers don’t train to be entertainers, teaching must capture students’ attention and at times entertain them. This doesn’t mean that every lesson has to be a Broadway musical number, but it does require educators to be intentional when engaging students in active learning. We discuss Kevin’s new book, Lights, Cameras, TEACH!, and how he brings the magic of the movies to the classroom, presenting a scene-by-scene script packed with film-inspired ideas for educators. In this episode, we discuss: Community Building Strategies Reigniting your Passions as a Teacher. And his new book, Lights, Cameras, TEACH! About Kevin Butler: Kevin began teaching in 2002 in New York at a suburban public school on Long Island. He relocated to California to  consult and teach at a startup charter school. For the last six years, Kevin taught fifth grade at an independent

In this 26th Aspire Mailbag episode, Jeff Gargas and I answer questions on different leadership topics provided by the listeners. Please join us for this episode as we answer questions on new initiatives by new leaders, abandoning campus programs, leadership advice, the Teach Better conference, and the latest news with the Teach Better Team! Featuring Jeff Gargas and Joshua Stamper Teach Better Conference: https://teachbetterconference.com/ (https://teachbetterconference.com/) AspireTB2022 for $50 off Follow Jeff Gargas: Twitter:https://twitter.com/jeffgargas ( https://twitter.com/jeffgargas) Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/_jeffgargas/ ( https://www.instagram.com/_jeffgargas/) Follow Joshua Stamper: Contact:https://joshstamper.com/contact/ ( https://joshstamper.com/contact/) Twitter:http://www.twitter.com/Joshua__Stamper ( www.twitter.com/Joshua__Stamper) Instagram:http://www.instagram.com/joshua__stamper ( www.instagram.com/joshua__stamper) Linkedin:http://www.linkedin.com/in/

This week’s guest, Kyle Hill, shares how his role as a Special Education Lead and parent has uncovered a huge gap in the communication and relationship between the school, parents, and the student. Kyle provides wonderful advice and resources to help all parties succeed in creating an effective plan for our struggling students. In this episode, we discuss: Strategies to help students with their classroom behavior Resources for parents to assist their special education meetings And his podcast, Xhausted Educators! About Kyle Hill: School was a struggle for Kyle Hill.  In fact, as someone with undiagnosed ADHD, school was more of a chore than an opportunity.  Due to his own experiences with academic and behavior challenges, Kyle decided to become an elementary, special education teacher to support students with their own unique needs.  He served in this role for 19 years in both co-taught general education classrooms and self contained special education classrooms.  Since then, he has become a dist

This week’s guest, Carl Hooker, shares how to tackle the challenge of creating innovation in the classroom and he provides ideas for both teachers and leaders with new ways to motivate learners of all ages and open up their creative pathways. In this episode, we discuss: Enhancing skills beyond technology  The future of education and online learning And his book, Ready.Set.FAIL!  About Carl Hooker: Carl Hooker is an educational consultant and speaker from Austin, TX. He spent the past 24 years as a teacher and administrator building successful blended learning programs for schools. He also serves as an advisor for multiple ed tech companies and is the co-founder of the social media platform K12Leaders.com.  He has written 6 books on mobile learning as well as being a named a National Faculty Member Emeritus for Future Ready Schools out of Washington, D.C. He hosts three podcasts (ISTE’s Learning UnLeashed, The UnDisruptED podcast, and the Forward to Different podcast) and his latest book Ready,

This week’s guest, David Frangiosa, shares how he used multiple grading procedures to discover a process that revolutionized his classroom and shifted the focus to learning, which was going gradeless. We dive into this structure of feedback, student self pacing, and the misconceptions of this system.  In this episode, we discuss: Utilizing an Accountability Checklist  The differences of going gradeless vs. Standards Based Grading And his book, Going Gradeless: Shifting the Focus to Student Learning!  About David Frangiosa: David Frangiosa is a high school science teacher from Northern NJ and the co-author of Going Gradeless: Shifting the Focus to Student Learning, Corwin Press. Over the past seven years, he has been performing action research on grade reform and the impact of various instructional approaches. He is an educational blogger who maintains his own blog at ReimaginedSchools.com, as well as contributes to the TeachBetter blog, SchoolRubric  and Teachers Going Gradeless. He also hosts th

This week’s guest, Katie Miglin, shares how to create an interdisciplinary learning experience in the classroom, while using the Grid Method to enhance student voice and ownership of the content.  In this episode, we discuss: New Teach Better Course on Interdisciplinary Learning New Opportunities to Provide Student Feedback And the Teach Better 22 Conference!  About Katie Miglin: Katie Miglin was a former classroom teacher of 13 years in the middle school setting. She taught 7th grade for all thirteen years with a few sections of 6th and 8th grade sprinkled throughout. Her experience includes teaching Writing and Math. During her time in the schools, Katie has held a variety of roles including Fellowship of Christian Athletes Huddle Leader, Curriculum Chair, Drama Club Director, and PBIS Tier 1 Coach. She has also been a part of the building leadership team, community outreach team, and before school program. Katie is now working for the Teach Better Team as the Director of Curriculum and Instru

This week’s guest, Dr. Marcus Belin, shares how a difficult start to his role as a Principal allowed him to appreciate, learn, and not regret the hard lessons of his leadership experience.    In this episode, we discuss: Setting Fire to the “Comfort Box” Showing Vulnerability and Transparency to your Staff And his podcast, Unapologetic Leadership About Dr. Marcus Belin: Born and raised on the Southside of Chicago, Dr. Belin learned the value of education at a very young age. That belief has carried him into my career as an educator and my commitment to making an indelible mark on the lives of my students and colleagues.  He attended Bradley University, where he received his bachelor’s in elementary education followed by a master’s in education administration. He completed his doctorate at National Louis University in July 2020. His career as a 5th- and 6th-grade social studies teacher at Quest Charter Academy, a brand new charter school that was opening its doors in Peoria.  He then became the

This week’s guest, Elijah Carbajal, shares how to be the best version of ourselves to create an environment that is inviting, caring, and accepting of all students. If you are looking to improve your classroom culture, this is the episode for you!   In this episode, we discuss: Leading With Service  The Shut Up and Teach Podcast And his soon to be released book, A Place They Love: Creating Healthy School Culture and Positively Impacting Students About Elijah Carbajal: Elijah is a Title I Reading Interventionist who has been teaching for 9 years, all in the state of NM. Teaching runs in his family. He’s married to a teacher, Tracey Taylor. Elijah is the host of “Shut Up And Teach” and he wrote a book that is being published by EduMatch Publishing this fall. Follow Elijah Carbajal: Twitter: https://twitter.com/carbaeli (https://twitter.com/carbaeli)  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carbaeli/?hl=en (https://www.instagram.com/carbaeli/?hl=en)  Shut Up and Teach Podcast: https://podcast

In this bonus episode, Starr Sackstein shares her exciting announcement about Hacking Assessment and we discuss how to shift the “Grades Mindset”, change your grading system, and improve the feedback process.  In this episode, we discuss: A No-Grade Classroom Rebranding Assignments as learning experiences Project based learning - Teaching the Reflection Process Ditching the Traditional Gradebook And her new edition, Hacking Assessment: 10 Ways to Go Gradeless in a Traditional Grades School About Starr Sackstein: Starr Sackstein is a recovering perfectionist who is an assessment reforming enthusiast. Currently, she works with teacher teams to engage students in the learning process, advocate for personal growth, and effectively use student data to drive instruction with the Core Collaborative. She also works as publisher for Mimi & Todd Press.  In her past lives, she was a high school English and journalism teacher, a lead Humanities learner, and social media manager.  Additionally, Sta

This week’s guest, Dwight Carter, shares how the motto “Be GREAT” changed his mindset, school culture assessment, and trajectory of his leadership journey. Join us as we explore Dwight’s new district position and new book, Be Great!   In this episode, we discuss: Assessing School and District Culture Gratitude Techniques And his new book, Be Great: Five Principles to Improve School Culture from the Inside Out About Dwight Carter: Dwight Carter is a nationally recognized school leader from Central OH. Because of his collaborative and innovative leadership, in 2010, he was inducted into the Jostens Renaissance Educator Hall of Fame. He was also named a 2013 National Association of Secondary School Principals Digital Principal of the Year, the 2014 Academy of Arts and Science Education High School Principal of the Year, the 2015 Ohio Alliance of Black School Educators Principal of the Year, and the 2021 Columbus Africentric Early College Sankofa Emerging Leader.  He is currently the Director of Stud

This week’s guest, PJ Caposey, shares how experiencing a tragedy at a young age shifted his mindset on the value of time and how time management is key in any successful leader’s skill set. In this episode, we discuss: The Reflection Process Valuing Coaching from Others Preparing our Students for their Future.  About PJ Caposey: PJ Caposey is a dynamic speaker and a transformational leader and educator. PJ began his career as an award-winning teacher in the inner-city of Chicago and has subsequently led significant change in every administrative post he has held. PJ became a principal at the age of 28 and within three years was able to lead a small-town/rural school historically achieving near the bottom of its county to multiple national recognitions. After four years, PJ moved to his current district, Meridian CUSD 223, as superintendent and has led a similar turnaround leading to multiple national recognitions for multiple different efforts. PJ is a best-selling author and has written 8 books

In this week’s episode, we flip the script! Sarah Johnson is hosting the Aspire to Lead Podcast to celebrate the 200th episode and to learn about the exciting news of Joshua’s new educational role! Thank you to all of the loyal listeners that have supported the show for the past 4 years.  In this episode, we also discuss: Influence is not about a Title A look behind the scenes of the Aspire to Lead Podcast And a IN AWE Podcast announcement! About Sarah Johnson: Sarah Johnson is a former teacher and school principal, turned author, speaker, and podcaster. She is passionate about assisting others in seeking greater satisfaction in all areas of their full lives by helping them go beyond work-life balance as well as develop strong leadership foundations. Sarah holds a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education, Master of Science in Educational Administration, and a Certificate for Women in Leadership from Cornell University. She hosts the weekly In AWE Podcast where she is proud to amplify women’s stori

This week’s guest, Erik Francis, shares how depth of knowledge and questioning is the missing link in education. Join us as we break down the stages of depth of knowledge and how you can incorporate multiple strategies into your classroom.     In this episode, we discuss: Inquiry based instruction Changing the way we view education And his Newly Released Book, Deconstructing Depth of Knowledge: A Method and Model for Deeper Teaching and Learning  About Erik Francis: Erik M. Francis, M.Ed., M.S., is an international author, educator, presenter, and professional development provider with over 25 years of experience in education. He is the author of Deconstructing Depth of Knowledge: A Method and Model for Deeper Teaching and Learning published by Solution Tree. He is also the author of Now That’s a Good Question! How to Promote Cognitive Rigor Through Classroom Questioning published by ASCD.. Erik is the owner of Maverik Education, providing professional development, guidance, and support on how to

This week’s guest, Tom Schimmer, dives into the frequent struggles and misperceptions of assessment practices. Tom provides excellent strategies to help provide feedback to your students and how to complete this important strategy in a timely manner.     In this episode, we discuss: Frequent Mistakes in the World of Grading, Rubrics, and Assessments Student Investment through Assessment And his Newly Released Book, Concise Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Assessment and Grading About Tom Schimmer: Tom Schimmer is an independent education author, speaker, and consultant from Vancouver, BC. Over the course of his career he has been a classroom teacher, school administrator, and district level leader. Tom is an internationally recognized leader and expert in the areas of assessment, grading, RTI, and educational leadership. He has delivered both keynote and workshop sessions at several national and international conferences. As well, Tom has worked directly with schools and school distric

This week’s guest, Dr. Michael Nagler, shares how he uses the motto “Think Differently” to shift his district into a problem solving and innovative group of educators, which prepare the students to be successful in their unknown future careers.  In this episode, we discuss: Standards Based badge books for k-4th grade New model of High school called Synergy And his book, The Design Thinking, Entrepreneurial, Visionary Planning Leader About Dr. Michael Nagler: Michael is the Superintendent of the Mineola School District, a suburb of NYC. Mike began his career as a social studies teacher in NYC.  While teaching he earned his doctorate from Columbia University and accepted an administrative position with Mineola in 1999. He believes strongly in the district’s mission to inspire students to become lifelong learners that exhibit strength of character and contribute positively to a global society. During his twenty three years with the district, he has been a big proponent of using technology to engage

This week’s guest, Noah Daniel, shares how in her leadership journey, she needed mentors to provide guidance, wisdom, and inspiration to build beyond her position and explore new opportunities.  In this episode, we discuss: TEDx Talk about Personal Narrative Music Project Extending Beyond Her Comfort Zone And her book, Strum and the Wild Turkeys About Noa Daniel: Noa Daniel MEd, is a classroom teacher in the York Region District School Board outside Toronto, Canada. Through her consulting work at https://buildingoutsidetheblocks.com/ (Building Outside the Blocks) she creates personalizing projects and initiatives for schools, boards, and communities. Noa is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of http://thementoree.com/ (The Mentoree). She is also a https://buildingoutsidetheblocks.com/boblog (blogger), a children’s book author and podcaster. Noa’s children’s books include Crazy for Canada, Old Timers: The One That Got Away, and her newest, http://strumandthewildturkeys.com/ (Strum and The Wild

This week’s guest, BreAnn Fennell, shares how play in the classroom can address the physical and emotional development of our students, while increasing engagement.  In this episode, we discuss: The benefit of being an Ambassador for multiple organizations Teach Better Conference And her book, Play? Yay! About BreAnn Fennell: BreAnn Fennell is a 1st and 2nd grade looping teacher at Reagan Elementary in Ashland City School District. She has earned the title of Ohio Teacher of the Year for 2021 for District 5. She has 12 years of teaching experience, educating students in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades. She believes that early education and interventions can change the course of a child’s life.  Fennell holds a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education with an endorsement in reading from Ashland University and a 4-5 generalist endorsement from The Ohio State University. She has a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Ashland University. She is always learning and serving the world of e

Research proves that by intentionally practicing gratitude, we can dramatically improve our disposition, bringing us more joy and better health. Consistently and intentionally practicing gratitude can also lead to better relationships and more successful learning experiences. This week’s guest, Lainie Rowell, shows how educators can use small gratitude practices to make a big difference with kids, peers, and the world. In this episode, we discuss: The importance health aspects of showing gratitude New book, Evolving with Gratitude  And Lainie’s new podcast, “Evolving with Gratitude” About Lainie Rowell: Lainie Rowell is an educator,https://www.amazon.com/Evolving-Learner-Shifting-Professional-Development/dp/1544338325 ( author),http://lemonadelearning.us/ ( podcaster), and international consultant who specializes in working with other educators to find innovative and sustainable ways to transform teaching and learning. Her areas of expertise include online/blended learning, designing innovative l

In this week’s episode, Kyle Krueger and Wilkie Law, share their struggles as a teacher and how providing their authentic self to their students allowed them to gain deeper relationships, model failure, and enhance creativity.  In this episode, we discuss: The Lighthouse Project And their relaunched podcast, “We Teach Inspire” About Kyle Krueger Kyle Krueger has been a middle school social studies teacher for 11 years split between Houston and the Twin Cities. Along with teaching he started a non-profit called Lighthouse Educator Development with best buddy Wilkie Law. They have a passion for helping teachers early in their careers and helping students develop their creativity. In his spare time Kyle enjoys working outside, eating good food, and watching Hallmark movies with his wife of almost two years. Follow Kyle Krueger: Website: http://www.theledproject.com (www.Theledproject.com)  Twitter: @itskylekrueger  Instagram: @itskylekrueger  TicTok: @itskylekrueger  About Wilkie Law Wil